The lady and the lion
There once was a man who had to take a long journey
and when he was saying goodbye to his
daughters he asked what he should bring back to them
the eldest daughter wanted pearls the second
diamonds but the third said
dear father i should like a singing
soaring lark
the father said very well if i can
manage it
you shall have it and he kissed all
three
and set off he bought pearls and
diamonds for the two
eldest but he had searched everywhere in vain
for the singing soaring lark and this
worried him
for his youngest daughter was his
favorite child
once his way led through a wood in the midst
of which was a splendid castle near it stood a tree
and right up at the top he saw a lark
singing and soaring ah he
said i have come across you in the nick of time
and he called to his servant to dismount
and catch the little creature
but as he approached the tree a lion
sprang out from underneath and shook
himself and roared so that the leaves on the tree
trembled who dares to steal my
lark said he i will eat
up the thief then the man said
i didn't know that the bird was yours
i will make up for my fault by paying a heavy ransom
only spare my life but the lion said
nothing can save you unless you
promise to give me whatever first meets you
when you get home if you consent
i will give you your life and the bird
in the bargain but the man hesitated and said
suppose my youngest and favorite
daughter were to come running to meet me
when i go home
but the servant was afraid and said your
daughter will not necessarily be the
first to come to meet you
it might just as well be a cat or a dog
so the man let himself be persuaded
took the lark and promised to the lion for his own
whatever first met him on his return
home
when he reached home and entered his house
the first person who met him was none
other than his youngest
daughter she came running up and kissed
and caressed him
and when she saw that he had brought the
singing soaring lark
she was beside herself with joy
but her father could not rejoice he
began to cry
and said my dear child it has cost me bdear
for i have had to promise you to a lion
who will tear you to pieces when he gets you in his power
and when he told her all that had
happened and begged her not to go
come what may but she consoled him saying
dear father what you have promised must be performed
i will go and will soon soften the
lion's heart
so that i shall come back safe and sound
the next morning the way was shown to
her and she said goodbye and went
confidently into the forest
now the lion was an enchanted prince
who was a lion by day and all his
followers were lions too
but by night they reassumed their human
form on her arrival she was kindly
received
and conducted to the castle when night fell
the lion turned into a handsome man
and their wedding was celebrated with new magnificence
and they lived happily together sitting up at night
and sleeping by day one day he came to her and said
tomorrow there is a festival at your
father's house
to celebrate your eldest sister's
wedding
if you would like to go my lions shall escort you
she answered that she was very eager to
see her father again
so she went away accompanied by the lions
there was great rejoicing on her coming
for they all thought that she had been torn to pieces
and had long been dead but she told them
what a handsome
husband she had and how well she fared
and she stayed with them as long as the
wedding festivities lasted
then she went back again into the wood
when the second daughter married the
youngest was again
invited to the wedding she said to the lion
this time i will not go alone
you must come with me but the lion said it would be too
dangerous for if a gleam of light
touched him
he would be changed into a dove and
would have to fly about for seven years
oh said she only go with me
and i will protect you and keep off
every ray of light
so they went away together and took
their little child with them
too they had a hall built with such
thick walls that no ray could penetrate
and thither the lion was to retire when
the wedding torches were kindled but the
door was made of
fresh wood which split and caused a little crack
which no one noticed now the wedding was
celebrated with great splendor
but when the procession came back from
church with a large number of torches
and lights a ray of light
no broader than a hair fell upon the
prince
and the minute this ray touched him he was changed
and when his wife came in and looked for him
she saw nothing but a white dove sitting there
the dove said to her for seven years i
must fly about the world
every seventh step i will let fall
a drop of blood and a white feather
which will show you the way and if you
will follow the track
you can free me thereupon the dove flew out of the door
and she followed it and every seventh step
it let fall a drop of blood and a little
white feather to show her the way
so she wandered about the world and never rested
till the seven years were nearly passed
then she rejoiced
thinking that she would soon be free of her troubles
but she was still far from her lease
one day as they were journeying on in the accustomed away
the feather and the drop of blood ceased
falling
and when she looked up the dove had vanished
man cannot help me she thought
so she climbed up to the sun and said to it
you shine upon all the valleys and
mountain peaks
have you not seen a white dove flying by
no said the sun i have not
seen one but i will give you a little
casket
open it when you are in dire need
she thanked the sun and went on till
night
when the moon shone out
you shine all night said she over
field and forest have you seen a white dove flying by
no answer the moon i have seen
none but here is an egg
break it when you are in great need
she thanked the moon and went on till
the night wind blew upon her
you blow among the trees and leaves have
you not seen a white dove
she asked no
said the night wind i have not seen one
but i will ask the other three winds who may
perhaps have seen it the east wind and
the west wind came
but they had not seen no dove
only the south wind said i have seen the white dove
it has flown away to the red sea where
it has again become a lion
since the seven years are over and the lion is
ever fighting with a dragon who is an
enchanted princess
when the nightwind said i will advise you
go to the red sea you will find tall
reeds growing on the right bank count them
and cut down the eleventh strike the
dragon with it
and then the lion will be able to master
it and both will regain
human shape next look round
and you will see the winged griffin who
dwells by the red
sea leaf upon its back with your beloved
and it will carry you across the sea
here is a nut drop it when you come
to mid ocean it will open immediately
and a tall nut tree will grow up out of the water
on which the griffon will settle could
it not rest
it would not be strong enough to carry you across
and if you forget to drop the nut it
will let you
fall into the sea then she journeyed on
and found everything as the night wind had said
she counted the reeds by the sea and cut off the eleventh
struck the dragon with it and the lion mastered it
immediately both regained human form
but when the princess who had been a dragon
was free from enchantment she took the prince in her
arms seated herself on the griffin's
back
and carried him off and the poor
wanderer
again forsaken sat down and cried
at last she took courage and said to
herself
wherever the winds blow i will go
and as long as cock's crow i will
search till i find him
so she went on a long long way
till she came to a castle where the
prince and princess were living
there she heard that there was to be a
festival to celebrate their wedding
then she said to herself heaven help me
and she opened the casket which the son had given her
inside it was a dress as brilliant as
the sun
itself she took it out and put it on
and went into the castle where everyone
including the bride looked at her with amazement
the dress pleased the bride so much that she
asked if it was to be bought
not with gold or goods she answered
but with flesh and blood
the bride asked what she meant and she answered
let me speak with the bridegroom in his chamber tonight
the bride refused however
she wanted the dress so much that alas she consented
but the chamberlain was ordered to give
the prince a sleeping draft
at night when the prince was asleep
she was taken to his room she sat down and said
for seven years i have followed you
i have been to the sun and the moon
and the four winds to look for you
i have helped you against the dragon and will you now
quite forget me but the prince slept
so soundly that he thought it was only
the rustling of the wind among the pine trees
when morning came she was taken away and
had to give up the dress
and as it had not helped her she was very sad
and went into a meadow and cried as she
was sitting there
she remembered the egg which the moon had given her
she broke it open and out came a hen
and 12 chickens all of gold who ran
about
chirping and then crept back under their mother's wings
a prettier sight could not be seen
she got up and drove them about the
meadow till the bride saw them from the window
the chickens pleased her so much that
she asked if they were for sale
not for gold or goods but for flesh
and blood let me speak with the
bridegroom in his chamber once more
the bride said yes intending to deceive
her as before
but when the prince went to his room he
asked the chamberlain
what all the murmuring and rustling in the night meant
then the chamberlain told him how he had
been ordered to give him a sleeping
draft
because a poor girl had been concealed in his room
and that night he was to do the same again
pour out that drink and put it near my bed
said the prince at night
she was brought in again and when she
began to relate her sad
fortunes he recognized the voice of his dear wife
sprang up and said now i'm really free
for the first time
all has been as a dream for the foreign
princess cast a spell over me
so that i was forced to forget you
but heaven in a happy hour has taken away
my blindness then they both stole out of
the castle
for they feared the princess's father
because he was a sorcerer
they mounted the griffin who bore them
over the red sea
and when they got to mid-ocean she
dropped the nut
on the spot a fine nut tree sprang up
on which the bird rested then
it took them home where they found their
child grown tall
and beautiful and they lived happily
till the end
you